Acquire a Bentley Bay abode for half a mill or pay $5.5 mill for a penthouse with a pool.

Another report in an occasional series highlighting the range of asking prices for a roof over your head in Miami-Dade. This week we check out condominiums for sale in two of Miami Beach’s newer buildings. Note: Asking prices are not always the same as selling prices!

A 1/1 unit in Bentley Bay, South, 520 West Ave., is priced at $519,000 ($668 per square foot). The Arquitectonica-designed building with a sail-like profile is one of a pair of waterfront towers in the heart of South Beach, located very close to the MacArthur Causeway and offering extensive views of the city and Biscayne Bay as well as glimpses of ocean from some units. This Seventh floor unit of 776 square feet is the least expensive offered in the building according to listing agent Ann Nortmann of Majestic Properties, Lincoln Road office, who adds that the seller is extremely motivated.

A few blocks north at SoBe Bay, 1577 Bay Road, not far from Lincoln Road, a spectacular three-story penthouse is for sale at $5.5 million ($384 per square foot). The minimalist but luxurious mid-rise built in 2006 has only nine city lofts. The penthouse was designed by Miami architect Chad Oppenheim as a mansion in the sky with 6,800-square-feet of living space configured into five bedrooms and five-and-a-half baths. Ceilings are 14 feet high, views are forever and a 7,500 square foot rooftop terrace features its own private pool. Buyer of the penthouse also gets four private parking places in an underground garage. To add to the luster, it was acclaimed by the American Institute of Architects and won two prestigious awards in design and concept. David Nguah is the listing agent, in Majestic Properties’ Lincoln Road office.

Preserving a Gables Heritage

The name Coral Gables evokes images of wide boulevards, Mediterranean architecture and ornate buildings shaded by century-old banyans and oaks. But the “City Beautiful” has another facet: a 40-acre residential area southeast of US.1 with homes originally built by Bahamian immigrants who settled in the area in the 1920s. Also known as the McFarlane Homestead District, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Districts. Last week, Commissioner Carlos A. Gimenez held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to welcome back families whose homes has undergone extensive renovations. The restoration project, which began at 125 Frow Ave., is part of a large community effort to preserve the heritage of the neighborhood.

Green Is Hot and Cool

More evidence that Green time has come to the building industry. The National Association of Home Builders, which already has Model Green Home Building Guidelines and the National Green Building Standard, is creating a National Green Building Program. Builders, architects, environmentalists and product experts are writing a model guide for residential construction and renovation, to be released in early 2008.

The National Green Building Program takes into account a home’s lot development, use of resources, energy and water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, durability and ease of maintenance, as well as the builder’s efforts to educate homeowners. Existing local programs that qualify can become part of the national program — without costly additional certification fees. The program will include an interactive, Web-based certification system as well as other tools and resources for builders and certifiers. Their national registry will list green builders and green homes.

Living Green — or Not

If you’re a Florida resident concerned about Green Living (no, not dollar-bill green!) then you’re in for a dose of reality. A recently published list of U.S. cities that make it easier to live an eco-friendly life ranked our area way down.

The 2007 Best Green Places Report, from Country Home magazine, compiled with the help of Sperling’s BestPlaces, surveyed 379 cities sorted by region. The 25 best places to live took into account all sorts of criteria — from air and watershed quality, miles of mass transit and green power to farmers markets, organic producers and groceries, and more.

Florida’s highest ranked city on the list was Gainesville at 44; the state’s lowest: Lakeland, at 337. As for South Florida, Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall came in at number 172, followed by West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Boynton Beach at #173. Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerfield ranked at # 241 for eco-friendly living. You can check it out at www.countryhome.com/greencities.

Buzz

If you should receive a snail mail letter and the face on the stamp isn’t recognizable as a known American icon but looks vaguely familiar; do not fear: You’re probably the recipient of a mailing from a real estate agent hoping to get some additional “face time” with prospects. According to Realtor magazine online, some agents are investing in a new sales tool by ordering personalized (and U.S. Postal Service-approved) stamps with headshot photos (from www.stamps.com). What’s next? Invitations to buy a new condo with the developer’s face (or even his building) on the stamp!

Helen Hill is a freelance writer specializing in real estate and lifestyle topics. Please send news items on Miami-Dade real estate to hhill@miamisunpost.com.

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